and recently, after a torrent of mudslides destroyed his town of Vernazza:

We also discovered through this website that he and one of his main employees Jeff (we called him “The American” he was a California boy who fell in love with a Vernazza girl and tended bar at Massimo’s restaurant) hammered through the wall in that picture and pulled 40 customers through to safety during the deluge.

He looks at least 20 years older.

We also discovered that Massimo and Carmen had already lost a daughter, an 18-year old lovely girl, exactly 2 years before this tragedy; a victim of a car accident.

I can’t stop thinking about tragedy and loss and family and friends and what’s really important and how we all just keep getting through a day no matter what kind of pain we’ve lived through.

And it makes his joy, and friendliness and openness to the world that much more precious to me.

I suppose it’s selfish of me to think that going back, and giving him a hug, would help.